This morning I saw a post on Facebook that encapsulated my thoughts--"Agreeing to disagree. Coffee or tea? Pineapple or not on pizza? But not my human rights." Agreeing to disagree about basic rights is disagreeable to me. For most of my life I assumed that freedom to choose medical care, the nature of intimate relationships, values, and following the rule of law were basics under our constitution. I think I would have moved years ago if I felt I lived in an undemocratic society.
The older I have become, and as the extreme elements in our country have gained power, the stakes in political arguments have increased. In the past, there were discussions of taxes, the role of the federal government vs. states rights, support for the poor and indigent, and military spending. These arguments were heated and disconcerting. When my candidates did not win, I was upset. Now the agreeing to disagree method of resolving an argument has extended to basic human liberties and outright racism.
The preamble to the Declaration of Independence says: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." Obviously, we have not completely fulfilled these ideals. Undeniably, the country has made progress--interracial and interfaith marriages, LGBTQ rights, desegration, voting and women's rights, education for the disabled, and on and on.
At this moment, these liberties are in question. There are those in power who want to abrogate our birthrights.
Until 2016, I thought that being an American meant one accepted the Constitution which protected people of different races, sexual orientation, place of birth, and gender. It seems that I live in a country in which this is apparently not so. Citizens are second guessing these assumptions or promoting disobeying existing laws, primarily based on fear and a wish to return to the past.
I cannot agree to disagree on human liberty or the idea that white people (especially men) are superior to anyone else. I cannot agree to disagree that individuals might be homosexual, bisexual, and/or transgender. I cannot agree to disagree that desperate people fleeing their country cannot find asylum in the United States. (I am not talking about criminals.) I cannot agree to disagree that books should be banned, gun laws be less restrictive than driver's licenses, that public education should not be supported, and women do not have power over their bodies. I cannot agree to disagree that a wealthy felon, who evades paying taxes and lies outright, should be President. I cannot agree to disagree that our public officials not adhere to the rule of law.
No one is forcing anyone in this country to have an abortion, stop hunting, read a book, hire immigrants, send their children to public school, or love someone of the same gender. Not one person is coerced to become transgender; that's nonsense, as is most of the false news we hear.
So take your coffee with cream or sugar or both; eat your pizza with pepperoni or vegetables. That's ok with me. We can discuss whether Ethiopian or Chinese cuisine is tastier, but let's not denigrate Africans and Asians or anyone else; let's not rescind laws which protect citizens; let's not ignore the rule of law; and let's not allow fear to rule the land.
© 2024 Karen Levi
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